I'm a little slow to the blog post today. Admittedly I am behind after my evening of birthday celebrating. Never fear though, I haven't forgotten that I owe you one last fabulous find for the month of August. Without further adieu...

Steph: Books!! Design: Paper & Typography Sketchbooks
Yesterday I was given two amazing books by two of my favorite men (the Man and my big brother). I'd been eyeing these books for awhile so I was pretty jazzed to get them. If you're a paper or typography nut like me, you'll love them as well. 

Cate: Bubble gum nail polish by F21
Nothing screams summer like hot pink nail polish. And for $3, how can you go wrong?

Well folks, I think I'm going to sign off for the day. I've still got some residual birthday celebrating to do this weekend and I want to make sure to be well rested. I'll be back next week for a little show and tell of some new projects we've been working on, and to fill you in on my weekend of celebrating. Have a lovely 3-day weekend! xoxo - Steph

photo credit: aleksandar macasev

I'm taking a little break from blogging today, as I'm far too busy celebrating. Why? Because it's my birthday of course! I'll be back tomorrow to fill you in! xoxo - the birthday girl

Photo Credit: maps.stamen

Today's post is quite timely, being that Cate + I are actually going to a concert together this evening! Sadly, we wont be seeing either of these bands perform, but it doesn't make us love them any less. See below to learn more about our favorites for the month of August!

Steph: Boys & Girls Alabama Shakes
I've got my brother to thank for this amazing group. He was kind enough to gift me with their album and I haven't been able to stop listening to them since.

Cate: Featherstone, The Paper Kites
Easily my favorite song of the month. Just listen and you'll see why.

P.S: Interesting that these are both almost all male bands with one female lead! Odd coincidence, no?

photo credit: The Paper Kites & Alabama Shakes

Have you visited the Dahlia Press Shop lately? If not, you might want to swing on by. Not only are we having an end of summer sale (get 15% off if you enter the words SUMMER2012 during checkout), but we've also just added 4 new sets of Custom Stationery to the shop. All are available in a variety of ink and envelope colors. Visit the shop to learn more!

P.S: Want larger quantities? Not a problem, visit the listings to find information on pricing and availability.

I seem to go through cell cases like I go through water these days (seriously). So give me a couple months days and I'll be rocking one of these.. -Cate

It's that time of the month again...the time where we share all of our most fabulous finds! I'm super excited to share my favorite site of the month. It has become an essential part of the design process for me...not entirely sure what I ever did before. Check it out below. xoxo - Steph

Steph: Wordmark.it
If you're anything like me, you have a million fonts loaded on your computer. Sometimes you just want to see how one word looks without having to scroll through each and every font. Well this site does all the hard work for you. After scanning your loaded font files, it displays all the potential font options so you can see everything at once. You can even select your favorites to filter out and compare. Such a great site...the perfect addition to any designers toolbox.

Cate: http://www.everywhereist.com/
A quirky and engaging little travel blog. Since retiring and traveling at age 27 isn't really in the cards for me, this site keeps me satiated in between adventures. Check it out.

Good Morning Everyone. It's been such a busy week and this weekend doesn't look to be any slower. To start, I will be loading new Custom Stationery into the Dahlia Press Etsy Shop! The two cards pictured above are just a couple of the new designs that will be available. All the stationery is customizeable, so you choose your color paper, ink and envelopes! We are also going to be offering corresponding return address rubber stamps! Lots of fun new stuff, so make sure to visit us on Monday to learn more.

Besides the new additions to the shop, this weekend I'm also going to be snapping photographs of recent projects (including some amazing baby announcements printed this week that I can't wait to share), and visiting SVC's annual Wayzgoose! And last, but certainly not least, Cate and I will be putting together our list of favorites for the month of August to share with you. Hard to believe it's almost the end of August! Lots going on next week (including my birthday...eek!) so I promise you'll want to swing on by. For now, enjoy the sun this weekend. xoxo - Steph

Photo Credit: Cate

Sometimes I get so caught up in the planning and execution of my projects, that I forget to share them along the way. Does this happen to you? I try my best to document my process, take photos and get them out into the world, but...well, let's be honest...life happens and sometimes these things just don't make it to the blog! I'm going to make a conscious decision to be better about this though. Which is why I wanted to share the one and only picture I took (with my phone) on Monday after I finished printing some custom stationery for a client in Atlanta. It's super simple, and super pretty. Their logo was just begging to be letterpress printed. Such a treat to be the lady to get the job!

Today I'm wrapping up some custom stationery for another client and a beautiful set of baby announcements I'm just itching to share. I promise to get some photos up of both this week...even if they're taken with my phone.

For now, back to work! - Steph

these days, it is hard to imagine just how common house sparrows used to be. sparrows were once everywhere, the ultimate groupie to humankind. it seemed that they were untouchable. how wrong we were? studies prove that there has been a sharp decline in the number of house sparrows, and the driving force is the lack of nesting and breeding spaces. with high-rises and malls popping up everywhere, the birds have been displaced. designer nishant jethi came up with an idea called 'living typography', in which the entire alphabet and numbers 0-9 are recreated in hollow wooden 3D form, acting as birdhouses. the letters can be hung outside one's abode as a nameplate or address number, or used individually, hung on tress adding a bold, graphic addition to the urban landscape.

Photo Credit: Nishant Jethi

A few weeks ago we covered the topic of bringing a ‘+1’ with you to a wedding. This week we thought we’d switch perspectives and share our tips for properly addressing an envelope. We’re also going to explain a little about the purpose of an inner envelope and why you may or may not want to include one in your wedding suite.

In general, whether you’re including an inner envelope or not, always think of the outer envelope as your most formal mode of correspondence. This is where you want to refer to your guests by their full names (this includes Mr, Mrs, Ms. etc. as well as any titles such as Dr.). Should you include an inner envelope, this is where you can be a little less formal (as well, remember, the mailing address only goes on the outer envelope). An example of this is as follows...

Outer envelope:
“Mr. John and Mrs. Laura Brown” (followed by mailing address)

Inner envelope:
“Mr. and Mrs. Brown”, or if you’re very close to the couple, it could just read “John and Laura”.

There are many different ways to address the front of the envelope depending on the living situation of your guests (we’ve included links below to articles that address all the possible scenarios). For example, if you are to invite an unmarried couple that lives together you’d want to address the envelope like this...

Outer envelope:
“Mr. John Brown
Ms. Laura Smith” (make sure the names are on two separate lines followed by the mailing address)

Inner envelope:
“Mr. John and Ms. Laura” or “John and Laura”

Getting the hang of it? Now, onto that pesky inner envelope!

Why the inner envelope? Well, like most wedding etiquette, it all comes down to tradition. As mentioned earlier, the outer envelope allows you to formally address the guests, while the inner envelope (which holds the invitation, rsvp and enclosure cards) is the less formal envelope and only includes names of those invited.

The Pro’s to the inner envelope: it allows you the opportunity to write out exactly who you’d like to invite. Should you want a couple to bring along their three children to your wedding, this is where you can include their individual names. Or vice versa, you can leave the childrens name off the envelope should you decide you want an ‘adult only’ affair. I also like the inner envelope as it acts as a second mode of defence against any hazards that may occur when mailing.

The Con’s to the inner envelope: it involves a little extra time and effort to address both envelopes and there is an additional cost to include the inner envelopes. As well, for those couples wanting to be more environmentally friendly, the inner envelope may seem like a waste.

So which should you choose? Well it’s really very dependant on the type of wedding you’re having. Are you having a low key, casual affair? Then maybe opt out of the inner envelope. Are you keeping things traditional and having your guests dress to the nines? Then I would consider using an inner envelope. Little things like this really help to inform your guests of the type of event you’re going to have.

For more information on how to address your invitations, visit these article links: The Knot & Emily Post

photo credit: via Design Swell

Photo Credit: Lou Mora

Today it looks to be about 82 degrees in Seattle (and getting warmer). If you haven't heard...we are in the middle of what we NorthWesterners would call a "heat wave". It's beautiful outside - absolutely, ridiculously beautiful. Inside, however, it's completely disgusting. Hot, sweaty, and most of us without air conditioning.
We are literally, a hot mess.

Solution - get outside and near water. Sadly for me, there are one too many things to get done before I can take a break and lay in the sun. But the thought is nice. - Steph

photo credit: via Kayla Louise Adams

I love this little inspirational poster found on the streets of London. I already miss watching the games. What was your favorite event? --Cate

Photo Credit: Rob Mabee

This weekend looks to be a busy one. Between birthday celebrations for my big brother (Happy Birthday George!) and a long To Do list of design work and printing, I don't see a ton of resting in sight. I have however penciled in a pocket of time for me and my new book to have a proper date on the back deck in the sun. I hope you all enjoy the lovely weather this weekend, and remember to wear your sun screen! See you again on Monday to share what fun new things Cate and I are up to! - Steph

Really wishing I was on one of these right now. Sigh.
- Steph

photo credit: via Design Swell

Hi Friends! I have a fun announcement to share this Wednesday morning! While doing a little fall forecasting I've decided to take our Etsy shop into a new direction. Although we love greeting cards, it's not really where our passion is. We're much more interested in customized pieces - stationery that allows you to express your personality. So, after much deliberation we've decided to put greeting cards on the back burner (there will still be a few now and then, and of course, a handful will pop up around the holidays), and really put an emphasis on custom stationery!

I want to draw like this. Please. Thanks. -Cate

Photo Credit: Joachim Vu

We're all about the love this month - at least when it comes to our favorite products! Check out our faves for the month of July...you might just love them too!

Steph: Ariel Gordon Love Knot Ring
I don't actually own this ring; I do however own a $14 knock-off that I refuse to stop wearing even though it's turned from a bright gold to a dull silver in the past week. What I would really love would be to own a legit Ariel Gordon version. And with my birthday coming up at the end of August, it might just be the perfect thing to get me (hint, hint). 

Cate: Marry Hannah Little Lamb Earrings
My new earrings from Marry Hannah Little Lamb. Read what they say...you know you'd like a pair too!

Hi all. Sadly we’re a few weeks behind in our Wed-iquette posts (it’s been a little busy around these parts), but we are going to hop right back in with a very important question. As a guest, when you’re invited to multiple events surrounding a wedding, how much should you plan to spend on gifts?

This is a tough question as it really comes down to personal preference and what your budget can allow for. To start, let’s chat about the pre-wedding events. Couples may have an engagement party, multiple showers and a bachelor/bachelorette party all prior to the big wedding day. Assuming you purchase gifts for all of these occasions, if you don’t take the time to set a budget early on in the process, you could quickly spend more money than you ever intended to on the happy couple.

Technically (and hear me out before you shake your head in dismay) the only event that is mandatory you bring a gift, is the bridal shower. Why? The entire purpose of the event is to literally ‘shower’ the bride with gifts. The other events (engagement parties, weddings, etc.) are intended to be celebrations for the couple, and gifts are not a mandatory part of the event. However, all this being said, it is common practice that guests bring gifts to the wedding and has become an expectation for most.

So how much do you spend on each of these events? Well, luckily there is a fairly simple equation to help decide what’s appropriate. First set your overall budget. This number is really up to you and what you feel most comfortable spending. It may be as low as $50 or as high as $500 (or more). Whatever it may be, try to set the number early on in the process and work from there. By this point you should also have an idea of how many events you’re going to be invited to. In general, a good rule of thumb is to spend 60% of your budget on the wedding gift, then divide the remaining 40% equally on the other events you’re invited to.

For our example, we’re going to say that you have a budget of $200 to spend on Jack and Jill’s wedding and events. Besides the wedding, you’re also invited to the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Here is how you would break it down...

$200 = Total Budget
60% = $120 Wedding Gift
20% = $40 Shower Gift
20% = $40 Bachelorette Gift

Although this is not a set in stone rule, it can be a helpful equation to have when you find your calendar full with weddings. We hope this helps when deciding what your gift budget is. If you have other wedding etiquette questions, please do not hesitate to email or leave a comment. We’ll be back in two weeks with another installment of Wed-iquette!


photo credit: Oliver Schwarzwald

Being the fun fact junky that I am, I'm naturally obsessed with facts surrounding the Olympics. Did you know, for instance, that women's gymnastics is typically the most-watched sport of the Summer Olympics? or that Pigeon Shooting and Tug-of-War used to be included in the Events? Or that the last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912? (They're mainly silver now..) Happy watching! -Cate

photo credit: these are things
fact credit: national geographic

Hello August! The first of the month already - crazy! But let's not get too ahead of ourselves, we still have to wrap up July. Here are some tunes to dance the month away. Check back in tomorrow, as we will be sharring another installment of Wed-iquette! 

Steph: Fiona Apple "Valentine"
I'll be real honest - I've been a big fan of hers for years. But I'm undecided on this album. It's not an instant love connection. I do however find myself playing the song 'Valentine' over and over. You should give it a listen too.

Cate: Ratatat "Classics"
A must-listen for late summer barbecues and long sunset strolls.


photo credit: via Convoy